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Friday, April 6, 2012

Friday Open Thread!

I figured it was high time we had one of these, readers. Topics may include--but are certainly not limited to:

Everyone's favorite: whatcha sewing this weekend? I'm working on my white eyelet sundress. I'm temporarily sewing at the dining room table, since I'm still painting the floor in my sewing room! I have the base coats down, now for the lace stencil.

I'm also craving an eyelet shell with hot pink cigarette pants, as in the new Banana Republic Mad Men campaign.

Speaking of Mad Men. Are you watching the new season? What did you think of Betty's weight gain storyline? I kind of loved it. Betty is the last character we would expect to "let herself go" (I hate that phrase) and it provides a new twist for a character who wants to be perceived as perfect.

Also, that rose print silk blouse she's wearing in the photo above? I have some of that fabric! In pink! I got it at Mood last year.

Seasonal sewing. Are you just starting your summer sewing (or winter, depending on your hemisphere), or are you one of those clever people who plans way ahead?

Fabric Softener. Do you use it? Since I now have a washer and dryer (hallelujah!), these are the kinds of things I think about. I don't really like dryer sheets since they leave a greasy residue sometimes. But I hate static cling, so I don't want to go without. I'm now using liquid stuff for the first time--Mrs. Meyer's lavender scent (which smells amazing, even Jeff thinks so). I'm still noticing a bit of static sometimes though.

Pre-washing. I've been on a mission to pre-wash every cotton in my stash (no small feat) and it's become a sort of obsession (apparently I love doing laundry). Do you pre-wash when you buy your fabric, or right before you use it?

84 comments:

I prewash everything before it even enters my sewing room. LOL The only exceptions are some polyesters and dry clean fabrics. I'm bad and don't pretreat those in anyway. Granted, very little of what I sew falls into that category (I don't even have many RTW garments like that). And I almost never sew with wool (I'm mildly allergic). Some things (like denim) get prewashed several times before I fold them. I want everything ready to go when the mood strikes and I have the time!

I'm just a novice seamstress, but I'm really proud of this sewing project I just recently accomplished. Using a vintage 1940s dress found at a thrift store, I made a pattern using leftover freezer paper from last fall's turkey slaughter day. I picked up this FAB black & white diamond pattern cotton fabric from the craft store, and sewed myself a new version of the thrift store dress! Then, I created a matching "Mad Hattress" hat using buckram, millinery wire, and fabric scraps from the dress (I also decorated the hat with a curled pheasant feather). This outfit is probably the sewing project that I am the most proud of! You can view the finished dress & hat here on my blog: http://apothecaryinn.blogspot.com/2012/03/mad-hattress-takes-on-medford.html

- sewing this weekend: samples for an upcoming wedding show. Surrounded by that awful ironed muslin smell.- Mad Men and Betty's weight gain: LOVE it. So great to see smart writers not playing according to the "blondes are always thin and pretty" rule. Can't wait to see where this season takes Betty's character. - Season sewing: I usually start sewing for spring/summer in march. So far I've done a few blouses, tops and skirts. Starting skirts and dresses next week. My dress closet it getting completely out-of-hand but I can't stop.- Fabric Softener: don't use it due to my toddler's allergies. - Pre-washing: I tend to buy fabrics in bulk and pre-wash them as soon as I get home. Otherwise I always forget and I HATE getting excited over a new sewing project and having start off by doing laundry.

Yup, have got myself into the habit of chucking fabrics into the washing machine as soon as I get them home. Then I know it's all ready to go. And yes - separate washing machine and drier rocks - get all the laundry out of the way faster!

I don't use dryer sheets either, because they work by leaving residue, but I recently learned that I could throw a ball of aluminum foil in the dryer to reduce static. If you have a garment that has static cling after it comes out of the dryer, you can run a wire hangar along it to conduct the charge out. Similarly, if you found yourself out and about with static cling, you can pin a couple of safety pins into the hems, and it will conduct the charge out.

I'm still a novice but I'm currently trying to sew a button up shirt for my son. It's the first time I try a pleat, buttonholes, a pocket... basically all of it! I accomplished about half of it last night and I'm going to try to finish tonight. I'm quite proud of what I've done so far. :) As for pre-washing my fabric, I like to wash it when I get it home so I can keep track of what is washed and what is not. With three kids that isn't always feasible though!

I am in the middle of university exams so sadly the goal is not to sew this weekend. If I don't prewash as soon as I get home I won't remember if i have or not! Spring/Summer sewing is my favorite and thus I basically sew summer dresses all year round. Warm weather just means to opportunity to finally wear what I have sewn over the winter. Currently though I am designing a 1960's inspired dress for some thai silk I got as a gift.

Gertie - to avoid the static cling & save some money make some dryer balls! Find a local yarn shop, go searching through the sale basket & find some 100% wool yarn. Buy 1 skein, (1 skien will make 2 balls) wind it into a tight ball about 2 inches, take a heavy needle and bury the end into the ball, wash the wool ball in a small laundry bag & dry in dryer. Repeat the above process until the ball is about 4 or so inches in diameter. What you are doing is felting the wool yarn. Once the balls are felted just leave them in the dryer, they speed up your drying time and get rid of static cling! happy Washing & Drying!!!!

For sewing, there is the nighty I made my daughter, which needs to be taken up, and the robe I am making my granddaughter, both to be worked on Saturday, then Sunday my friend's white cotton dress has many tiers that are comming apart, so I will re-stitch that. Been spring cleaning, which included re-organizing the sewing space, so haven't been able to sew for two weeks.

I try to pre-wash when I bring things home. When I want to use something, I don't want to wait for the laundry to get started.

I have already finished my Easter dress and my next project is going to be a super cute/girly pink short sleeved suit coat but when I went to the fabric store I found this amazing silky floral print that I had to have. so NOW I am making a second dress in this fabric and the coat... It is going to be a busy weekend.

Can you believe I've only just started watching Mad Men, halfway through series 1 now. This weekend I'm finishing a 50's style petticoat, it's taken me a week as I handsew, and hopefully starting on the circle skirt dress I've been planning. Also cooking for my boys as they are round to put together my new shed. X

I don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets because they work by building up a waxy residue on your clothes (ick!). Instead I use vinegar in place of liquid fabric softener in the rinse cycle of the washer (you can use a Downy ball for this if your machine doesn't have an automatic dispenser). It helps reduce static by dissolving the soap and also freshens things up (and your laundry won't smell like vinegar!). I also air dry most of my clothes, which nearly eliminates static, although I do throw the wrinkly ones in the dryer for 10-15 min. Hope that helps!

I actually love laundry.I pre-wash after serging edges!I recently made some of my own softener (easy to find with a google search). My recipe has a vinegar base.I am trying to finish sewing some items to sell at a group yard sale. Many things keep getting in the way, however!LOVE, love, love the floral dress you made in the previous post.

Oh, how I wish I had my own washer and dryer... that must be so nice! I'm going home for Easter so I'll only have a portable knitting project with me, but I can't wait to start sewing up some sundresses. Also on the ticket for this weekend - catch up on Mad Men!

I've just completed two refashions and have a stash of wedding related sewing to do. I'm making bridesmaid dresses for a friend, and two wedding dresses this year. I'm a novice bridal sewer so it's a bit of a daunting task. However I'm willing to have a go and have a copy of Bridal Couture to help me on my way.

As for prewashing - depends on the fabric, and where I bought it from. I use a lot of recycled fabrics and refashion a lot.

I always use fabric softener and try to line dry rather than use the tumbler.

i'm currently working on a muslin for a coat i want to make... reading all of your great posts on tailoring definitely helped me get the courage to take the plunge! soon there will be a few designer stocksales here in antwerp, like every year. a few of the bigger names here sell clothes and fabrics from past seasons. i'm determined to get some gorgeous wool!

I love how the costumes and set design in Mad Men tell so much of the story; Betty's new home is basically a coffin-horrifying, dark and oppressive-added to her weight gain she is literally buried alive in her life. Can't wait to see what happens with her character.

Love our little insight into your sewing world! Good luck with the dress, I adore that Mad Men style campaign photo, those trousers are gorgeous and the top is amazing! XxxX http://thesecondhandrose.blogspot.co.uk/

I use homemade dryer sheets--flannel strips (about 3 x 5 inches, cut from my well-loved pajamas) soaked in a weak fabric softener solution (about 2 T fabric softener to 5 T water). I leave them in a container on my dryer, and throw one or two in with every load. It really stretches out your fabric softener; I've been using the same bottle for years. In the summer, I line dry, so no need to use it then.

I was pretty thrilled with Betty - I too had the neck lump scare recently, and I thought the show did a good job with the situation even though there's 40+ years between the two situations; also I loved her outfits, as always.

I have to wash the daylights out of everything before it goes into the stash. I'm allergic to a lot of chemicals, including sizing and fabric finishes. No fabric softener, for the same reasons.

I love Betty's storyline. It's been established in past seasons that she was chubby as a girl and that her mother put pressure on her to "reduce." Since then she's been a model, then a trophy wife (hate that term, but it seems to apply in her case), focusing her whole self-worth on her beauty and being seen as perfect. Having her struggle with her weight and with being "middle aged" makes so much sense for her character. Poor Betty. She's such an unhappy soul.

I prewash everything, as soon as I get it home. Then I don't have to worry about it when I get around to sewing it. Of course, I didn't start this until I had a house and a washer/dryer.

Gertie, do you have a front-loader or top-loader? When I had a top-loader, I found the balls were really hard on fabric. The front-loader I have now actually suggests you don't use fabric softener of any kind, and for the most part I haven't had problems.

YES, I have taken to prewashing all my cotton fabrics. I still hae to shlep to the laundry mat though. I never use fabric softener - YUCK.

I want to make a white eyelet dress this spring/summer too. I just finished a lovely blue eyelet top (Burdastyle Alexander). This weekend I need to finish up a blk/wht gingham blouse before I can cut anything else.

Unfortunately, all my actual sewing plans for this weekend have gone out the window. I do hope to help my mother cut out fabric for vests (made with remnants inherited from my grandma!) and get my own Colette Clover fit perfect, but we won't have time to sew. Incidentally, when I get the Clover fit to my liking, I intend to sew 3 "neutrals" in black, grey and brown, and then move on to red and hot pink!

I only have "rabbit ear TV" and haven't seen the newest "Mad Men" eps yet, but hope that they'll be available on my parents' cable box. Last night I was looking through my patterns and mentally matching fabric in my small stash to possibly get started on some 50s and 60s-inspired summer dresses.

My rule for pre-washing fabric has been to wash it in the order I'm ready to use it. If I buy it and know that I have everything ready to sew with it, I pre-wash within a week of purchase. If I buy it without a project in mind, it goes to the bottom of my pile and is only washed when I have the umption or find that I need it. I've never used fabric softener because my mother's been asthmatic since I learned to do laundry almost 20 years ago. Back then you couldn't find anything unscented so we went without. Given all the studies on scented products and asthma in the last 10 years I only have scented shampoos and hand soaps in my household now.

P.S. I think I'd be washing everything under the sun too if I had your washer and dryer! LOL!

I pre-wash fabric & all store-bought clothes before I wear them. Same for the grandchildren. Who knows what sort of chemicals factories have put on them! I only use dye-free & fragrance-free laundry products due to multiple chemical sensitivities. Very grateful that I have a washer/dryer at home as the scents give me a crashing headache which takes all day to clear up once I leave the vicinity.

Prewash: when I get it home usually. Fabric softener: not on anything that will be used to dry something else (any kind of towel) since fabric softener inhibits absorption of water. I buy the cheapest liquid softener I can find, and just put a drop or two on a clean old rag -- or on a damp sock that's going in the dryer -- since I figure that's about as much actual softener goes onto a dryer sheet. My last bottle of softener has lasted over 3 years, so far.

I have several projects in the works: fitting a blouse, a pair of trousers, fabric is ready to cut, and leggings also ready to cut fabric.I don't prewash until I am ready for a new project. I sew several things at once.I don't use fabric softener very often, partly because of skin sensitivity. I do hang most of my clothes to dry on a rack. Even in the winter I use the rack, cotton wovens have to be ironed.

I prewash everything washable right away or I will forget. I also got out of the fabric softener habit when I started bike commuting and making/wearing a lot of wickaway knits and DWR fabrics, which do not get along with fabric softeners at all.

Love the eyelet tank/cigarette pant idea! Time to check out that ad campaign...

I usually prewash cotton fabric right after I buy them. Re: fabric softener, I read somewhere that to reduce the amount of chemicals you come into contact with you can rip the dryer sheets into thirds, and then reuse each of those up to three times (getting nine uses out of one sheet!). So I have been doing that, and I find clothes are still soft and cling free with none of that residue (plus it's super thrifty!). The Betty Draper story line is strange - was she pregnant while they were shooting?

Now that I've seen the top picture of your post I'm thinking a white eyelet top has to go on my to-do list for this summer. I can't wait to see how your sundress turns out.

I don't know what I'm going to sew this week-end, but I really hope I can find some time to sew something nice and non-stressful. We just got married last week-end, so I spent the previous weeks working on the wedding and my wedding outfit, I need simpler projects right now.

As for prewashing, I usually do it right away. That way I don't have to worry about wether my fabric has been prewashed or not when I want to start a project.

I am starting an Easter dress...I know, right? It's in two days...It's a Monet-like print and a simple dress with a gathered skirt. Similar to your summer dress you did in your last post, so thanks for the inspiration!

Dryer sheets, I know what you mean. Did you realise they can be used more than once? They work about 3-4 times, so the first time you use one, do it on a load where that feel won't matter. i just don't like the softener going into the waste water supply. And you can get combined washing stuff with softener included, at least here in UK.

Auto washers let you go do something else while the laundry does itself, but twin tubs get through it faster. hmm.

I pre-wash before I use the fabric, if I remember, and so have to curb my enthusiasm until its all dry....Come on come on come on come on!!

On the fabric softener front, be careful because fabric softeners & wash powders/liquids react to create scud which builds up in your machine in the hidden recesses. Its foul so check online how to avoid it, or reduce it before you make up your mind on softeners. I will never ever use softener again. Ewwww.

BTW I bet Stehpanie C at 3hourspast.com has views and alternatives on fabric softener?

I'm planning to knit a couple of lacy summer berets this weekend - a white one and a nlack one. I'd like to go through my fabric and pattern stashes, too. I need some pretty dresses! My kids are with their dad for a couple of days, so a bit of enjoying the quiet will be had, as well!

Pre-washing is a requirement of my sewing room. I even machine wash and machine dry silks and linens! I find that if I shrink, fade, and mistreat my fabric before I cut it out, it's less likely to become ruined after I spend the time to cut and sew the garment. Once sewn, I treat the fabric with care, as I want it to last forever!

Just planning my summer dress sewing. Hate fabric softners of any kind they break me out. I use a couple of drops of organic hair conditioner.I'm obsessed w/ pre-washing as well except for quilting fabrics. This weekend I'm working on a quilt because it's fun when I should be making summer dressed :) Happy Sewing to everyone.

My apologies for coming up anonymous. Typing too fast...Just planning my summer dress sewing. Hate fabric softners of any kind they break me out. I use a couple of drops of organic hair conditioner.I'm obsessed w/ pre-washing as well except for quilting fabrics. This weekend I'm working on a quilt because it's fun when I should be making summer dressed :) Happy Sewing to everyone.

i'm super lazy about prewashing and tend to do it right before i want to use the fabric (or not at all depending on the fabric content); i know, soooo bad!

as for fabric softener, i tend to use tide with fabric softener (i know, so commercial and chemical laden) and i keep bounce sheets (ultra sensistive, no fragrance or dyes) to smooth away static cling on garments (or my hair if necessary!)

Congrats on your new home! You deserve it!I always prewash after buying so I can sew anytime I want! Fabric softener is yucky - bad for fabrics, and bad for humans. I use vinegar in the rinse cycle, and only fluff most things for a few minutes in the dryer. Towels, socks, underwear are dried all the way. Rarely static. I rub a metal hanger on anything that has static and it magically disappears.

2. Immediately before I wash/dry my cotton fabric (any launderable fabric for that matter), I finish the cut ends of my purchased fabric. Later, I never wonder, Did I wash this? The zig-zagged finished ends are the answer: "Yes!"

True story: I changed fabric softeners once and the first thing I washed was my sheets. They went back on the bed straight out of the dryer, and I lay awake for HOURS that night trying to figure out what in the world was keeping me awake. It was the new fabric softener scent!

I use the liquid stuff, in large part because it's what my mom uses. As to pre-washing fabric, it depends a lot on what the final product is (although it probably shouldn't). If I'm making clothes or an object for someone else, it gets washed within days of purchase. If it's something like a purse for me and I know I'm going to have it dry-cleaned, I typically don't bother with washing at all.

Oh Gertie, look how you inspire all of us! I guess I need to do a better job of pre washing. Just bought some super pretty linen to make a color block dress with. And waiting for my pink wool I ordered to sew my starlet jacket and skirt! Woohoooo! Yes, it's true I haven't finished the bombshell dress yet, but it's snowing here so kinda hard to get in that mood.I've gotta rent the MadMen series so I can find out what I'm missing. Gertie, I hope you'll make some pants like the gal in the ad is wearing and share your amazing tips with us. Happy Good Friday Everyone! Oh and regarding fabric softener, I love my sheets and towels to smell downy fresh. E

I'm working on some adorable clothes for the summer for my kiddos. Right now I'm doing a tank and short set with pin tucks on the tank for my daughter. It is of the CUTEST green fabric with ladybugs and flowers!

I wait to prewash my fabric.... If I wash it ahead of time it just goes back into the pile and then gets all wrinkly. I hate that! So I wash it in the morning before I start my crafting and then I have less to iron because it is less wrinkly! :)

I just finished an Easter Dress for my daughter and some adorable easter bunny puppets. I'm ready to move on to dresses for me but I just had surgery and keep losing weight... I'll have to hold off on that till it becomes stable. I'd hate to have it not fit!

Love the blog and all the amazing things you do! http://www.sunnysewing.blogspot.com

After sewing up some button down Easter shirts for my grandsons and a bow tie for my son-in-law, I decided to whip up a simple Sorbetto top for myself. I ended up driving 40 miles to pick up extra fabric to finish the top...but I love it and can't wait to wear it! Next week sewing is all about me! Blogged here: www.seasonedhomemaker.com

Others have mentioned vinegar - I highly recommend it, if only because so many fabric softeners contain carnuba wax or some other form of wax, and that ruins clothes over time.

I'm finishing up some pants for my son and then am making him a bathrobe. (both are Ottobre patterns) I'm starting to look at spring and summer sewing, although it's still so cool here in the PNW that I can't wear anything too lightweight yet. I have a couple of things that are finished but need tweaking in one way or another so that's on my list. Oh, and I'm finishing a baby quilt for my brother and SIL's little girl and then starting on another for a neighbor. I do all the quilting by hand, so I sit in front of a video or whatever and quilt while I catch up on movies or TV.

Haven't seen the Mad Men but I think that it's a neat way to explain the weight gain from January Jones' pregnancy IRL.

All my sewing projects are on hold for the next two weeks since we are moving apartments. But then I'd like to create a basic collection for this Spring/Summer season including dresses, skirts, shorts and pants. I did not know anything about Mad Men before I read about the Mad Men challenge within the sewing community! Just started watching season 1 last week. Betty is an interesting character and I can't wait to see how it develops in the future. (Well, now I know a little bit hihi).I never use softener nor drier. Our grandmothers survived without those and so will I. All my laundry dries outside in the summer or inside in the winter. To give my bedsheets nice smell (I own only 2 sets), I put a small bag filled with dried herbs (varies on season) inside the sheets after they are washed and stored in the closet. The sheets smell nicely after that. I really hate chemical smell. Also as Emily pointed out earlier it tends to scud in the washing maniche.I used to pre-wach my fabric 1 day before I start a new project.

Oh, Gertie, I can't wait to see your new painted floor! And, regarding Mad Men - you know that January Jones was quite pregnant when they were filming and this was their creative way to 'hide' that fact. I'm glad they did not make her pregnant on the show at least. I like this storyline much better than that alternative.

I'm working on finishing up the diaper bag I started 2 weeks ago- just need to add handles and make the changing pad & some more retro maternity and baby clothes. Other than that, move moving of my sewing stuff out of the baby's room and into the basement for my expectant- mom cave.

Where do I find a pattern for hot pants?! I love to sew but can't find patterns that look good. Most standard brands look worse than bargain basement clothes, except for kid patterns... Pattern recommendations from hip experienced sewers are wanted!

Always prewash, I like Tide liquid and Bounce sheets in the dryer, our clothes look and feel good, and it gets out kid stains.

I'm working on the yellow dress from the intro to Sew Retro. Mine is going to be a cotton with red cherries on a black background. Where does one look for help fitting? Are their any good books out there about fitting patterns?

Fellow NYC girl here...Try Charlie's Soap for the laundry and you won't need any fabric softener. I started using it when we lived in NC, at the suggestion of a fabric store owner who sold me a beautiful length of what turned out to be a silk/cotton blend fabric. She was going out of business after 40 yrs. and selling off her "bits and bobs". She couldn't recall what it was made of but said I should wash it with Charlie's Soap...."That'll do for just about anything but fur!" And she was right. And a whole load of wash only takes a tablespoon of powder. And yes, I wash fabric as soon as I get it, otherwise I'll either forget or, in my haste to grab the scissors, neglect that step. I should know better, but...

Hi Gertie, congrats on the new house and your own laundry!! I use a pair of special cloths that you just leave in the dryer all the time - they remove lint and generally work for static, the only time they don't really work is if there is polar fleece in the dryer. I can't use chemicals so that is my solution these days. They were about $13 but totally worth it! Also, love the chubby Betty storyline, it was a huge surprise! Love your white eyelet plans, will have to trek to the store this afternoon to add to my already indecent fabric stash!

Fabric softener - we rarely use it now, except for jeans sometimes. After a while, the towels start not absorbing water very well, and doing separate loads of just towels just doesn't happen. The dryer lint filter also got buildup from dryer sheets. You can restore the towel absorbency with a wash in a strong vinegar.

I used to buy those fabric softener sheets, but now I use those crystals that go into the wash. They're great for softening fabrics. I can't remember if they're good for static cling, but it seems like there is a lot less of it now.

Today I'm finishing up a dress from a vintage McCall's pattern in the peasant style. The main color is peach with a wide portion at the bottom in white. Perfect for Easter Sunday.

I stopped using fabric softener a few years ago because it irritates my son's skin. I've got used to un-softened fabric now and prefer the way it feels.

Also, could you dry your laundry outside? Your clothes would look so pretty hanging on a clothes line. I have ditched my dryer altogether - when it's raining I use a vintage ceiling pulley and if necessary I use a dehumidifier. I dry outside most of the year though - even though we have plenty of rain here in Scotland. My clothes last longer and they smell nice too.

Hi Gretchen!How is the dove gray eyelet dress from Palm Springs coming along?Re: fabric softener-- it's horrible. If you don't over dry your clothes, and if there is no synthetic in them, you won't have static issues. Re: the new bike, and puppies and baguettes-- You will rock that! But wait on the puppies until I bring you one! Daisy Anna is doing very well with her training, and her cat interactions....Love what you are doing these days,XXXJean

Definitely pre-wash my fabrics and any sewable interfacings! Love the BIGGER betty! Want to make some etsy inspired pillowcases, one say "sleep" the other says, ummm an unladylike four letter word which I won't repeat on your blog Gertie! LOL.

I try to pre-wash right away, otherwise I'm tempted to sew with it. I got a new loom so I'm making scarves, and I have a couple of patterns for summer tops using woven fabric (yes, I know its all woven but this stuff is my creation).

Re: Fabric softener: I use "Bounce Bars", which stick to a fin of the dryer. They last 2 months or more, and don't leave any residue. I find it much easier than remembering to add fabric softener at the right time.Re: Prewashing: who can plan ahead that far? And some fabrics can wait for months or years for the right project to come along, and then just need to be washed all over again.Re: Seasonal: Yes! Spring and summer sewing is beginning!

I usually wash or soak my machine/hand washable fabrics like cotton, linen, rayon or blends when I get it home so it's ready ands waiting to go whenever the I have the time and energy to sew it up. Wool fabrics get London shrink just before I'm ready to use it for my chosen pattern.

Doing the retro jacket, just watched the button hole lesson, i never ever thought of this way, thank you' in aus, we thread our needle first, then quicly wind thread just below the eye pull thread down to bottom of thread. There is your knotReally enoying tbe course gretchen you make it so much fun, i am a grandmother 'learning new things, thank you

Dryer sheets: I know it's not common in the US, but to me, there is nothing that makes clothes nicer to handle than drying them outside on the line. They smell incredibly fresh and feel great - and it's good for the environment. :)

I'm not sewing this weekend, instead I am gathering up supplies to attempt the tailored jacket from your class on Craftsy!!!! I'm really excited. I don't care if it takes a year I'm going to attempt all of the hand-tailoring techniques after loads of practice. YAY!!!